48th Primetime Emmy Awards


The 48th Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The awards were presented over two ceremonies, one untelevised on September 7, 1996, and other televised on September 8, 1996. It was hosted by Michael J. Fox, Paul Reiser, and Oprah Winfrey. Two networks, A&E and AMC, received their first major nominations this year.
Frasier took home Outstanding Comedy Series for the third straight year, and won two major awards overall. In the drama field, ER came into the ceremony as the most nominated drama for the second straight year with eleven major nominations, it defeated defending champion NYPD Blue to win Outstanding Drama Series. This turned out to be the only major award ER won. No show won more than two major awards.
The HBO comedy The Larry Sanders Show made Emmy history when it became the first show outside the Big Three television networks to receive the most major nominations. Furthermore, Rip Torn won the Supporting Comedy actor award, the first for HBO.
Another first came with Amanda Plummer for Showtime's The Outer Limits. Not only was it the first time a cable network won in her category but was Showtime's first ever Acting Emmy win.
For the twelfth and final season of Murder, She Wrote, Angela Lansbury was once again nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, she had been nominated for every season of the show, but she was defeated once again. In the process she set records for being the most nominated actress in the category, as well as the most nominated actress without winning. Both of these records still stand.

Winners and nominees

Programs

Outstanding Comedy SeriesOutstanding Drama Series

  • Frasier,
  • * Friends,
  • * The Larry Sanders Show,
  • * Mad About You,
  • * Seinfeld,
  • ER,
  • * Chicago Hope,
  • * Law & Order,
  • * NYPD Blue,
  • * The X-Files,
    • Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesOutstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
  • Dennis Miller Live,
  • * Late Show with David Letterman,
  • * Muppets Tonight,
  • * Politically Incorrect,
  • * The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
  • The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts,
  • * The 68th Annual Academy Awards,
  • * The Best of Tracey Takes On...,
  • * Dennis Miller: Citizen Arcane,
  • * Sinatra: 80 Years My Way,
    • Outstanding Made for Television MovieOutstanding Miniseries
  • Truman,
  • * Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story,
  • * The Heidi Chronicles,
  • * The Late Shift,
  • * The Tuskegee Airmen,
  • Gulliver's Travels,
  • * Andersonville,
  • * Hiroshima,
  • * Moses,
  • * Pride and Prejudice,

    • Acting

    Lead performances

    Supporting performances

    Guest performances

    Directing

    Writing

    Most major nominations

    ;By network
    ;By program
    ;By network
    ;By program
    Picket Fences / Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny / The X-Files – 2
    ;Notes

    In Memoriam